The Little Moments
by Mitsu-Ai
Summary: It's the little moments when you learn to love and grow that ends up meaning the most. Random, but meaningful oneshots of the relationships between our favorite Bleach characters. Mainly Ichihime, but may include Renruki and Hitsukarin.
1. Chapter 1: Too Nice

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Bleach and its characters. However, the stories are a product of my overactive imagination and so please respect it and each other. Any similarities to other works are purely coincidental, unless clearly stated otherwise. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1: Too Nice**

 _Summary: In which Orihime's good-naturedness, gets her in a sticky situation._

Everyone can agree that Orihime Inoue was a nice person. Maybe too nice, which makes her a key target for people who want to take advantage of her. However, they all learn eventually that she is not someone to be toyed with.

Tatsuki and Orihime walked out of the classroom with linked arms.

"Sorry, Orihime, but I can't walk home with you today. Late Judo practice tonight." Tatsuki said apologetically.

"That's okay, I'll be fine. But please don't push yourself too hard-Ow!" Orihime winced as someone walked by, knocking into her. The boy didn't even stop to apologize or acknowledge his mistake. As he passed by, Orihime thought she saw him smile oddly, but shook it off when she felt Tatsuki's anger welling up, "Hey don't you watch where you're going? You have two eyes- why don't you use em!" Tatsuki's nostrils flared and was ready to jump to her friends defense, but Orihime held her back.

"It's fine, Tatsuki-chan, I'm sure it was just an accident." She pleaded quickly, not wanting to create a scene.

"But-"Tatsuki's protest was interrupted but orihim.

"Please, I don't want you to get in trouble before your big competition." Tatsuki begrudgingly obliged. She could never say no those eyes.

"Fine, but you really are too nice Hime."

By the time Orihime had finished up with her after school club, the sun had set for the day and the only light left to guide her home were the dim street lights. She was used to walking home alone, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. Her guard was up and she quickened her pace.

Ichigo muttered angrily at being held back after school for his makeup test, especially because it was the teacher's own fault for losing his original test to begin with.

"Ichigo, you're still here!" Tatsuki, still in her Gi, saw him and made her way towards him, much to Ichigo's dread. The only reason she ever specifically looked for him was because she needed a favor, and Ichigo wasn't feeling very benevolent at the moment.

"No" he said quickly, "the answer is no"

"But I haven't even said anything."

"Whatever it is, the answer is still the same." Ichigo said firmly and continued down the hallway.

"It's Orihime," he stopped. Tatsuki smirked knowing that would get his attention.

"What about Inoue?" He asked, turning around to face her.

"Practice is running overtime tonight so we couldn't walk home together. But I can't help but feel uneasy about her walking home alone in the dark. So can you please chase her down and make sure she gets home safely?" Ichigo could never say no when it comes to Orihime and he suspected that Tatsuki knew that.

"Fine," he said, but felt the need to add, "Although you know she can take care of herself right?"

"I don't doubt it, but my "best-friend" senses are tingling, and since I can't act on it, I'm counting on you."

As Ichigo stepped out of school, he began to feel the same uneasiness that Tatsuki must have felt. He began to pick up speed until he was practically sprinting down the street.

Orihime must've looked silly power walking down the street, but her insticts tell her she may be in trouble. Hoping she could confirm that she was being followed without being too obvious, she glimpsed at the wall and saw another shadow lurking behind her. At that instant she wasn't taking any chances and began to run. As fast as she could, she dashed down the street towards her apartment which was almost within reach. She heard a distressed grunt, followed by an audible thud. Not stopping she turned her head to see what had happened. The boy who was following her was on the ground wincing in pain as he clutched his ankle. Against her better judgement, she slowed down and eventually stopped. Orihime could never find it in herself to abandon someone in pain, even if it landed her in trouble. She spun around and cautiously walked towards the boy.

"Are you okay?" She asked. The boy looked up and shook his head. He looked oddly familiar.

"I think I sprained my ankle," he replied, "It might be swelling up. I can't tell,"

She bent down to observe his ankle and strained her eyes to see whether he was experiencing any immediate swelling like he assumed. She couldn't be sure because before she got a good look at it, he grabbed her, forcefully pulled her up and pinned her against the wall, showing no signs of actual injury to his ankle.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

"I've been wanting to do this for a long time," He said breathlessly. His expression was unnerving.

"You don't want to do this," she said trying to reason with him, despite the nagging feeling that he was beyond reason.

"Yes I do. I've been watching you for a long time," He said, increasingly more erratic. "You were so beautiful I couldn't resist."

She suddenly realized why he looked so familiar. He was the one that had bumped into her earlier that day. The one with the creepy smile.

"I love you and I know you feel the same way—" he insisted.

"No I don't," she said calmly. "I don't even know you."

"—sure you do. You're just playing hard to get. I can tell by the way you look and smile at me." He was adamant, as if he truly believed what he said.

"Let me go," She said trying to keep her voice leveled, "Please."

"You don't really want that, do you?" He smiled eerily and slowly leaned in.

Ichigo sped up when he heard a scream in the distance. "Hold on Inoue, I'm almost there," He hoped and prayed with all his might that she was okay.

He caught sight of figures in the distance, but upon approaching them he was able to relax a little. He had been right, Inoue was able to take care of herself. She had her perpetrator pressed on the ground with his arm twisted in a painful position behind him. She was sitting on him and he was screaming in pain and begging her to release him.

"Inoue," he managed to say, "Are you okay?"

"Kurosaki-kun," she said pleasantly, which was surprising considering the situation she was in and added, "I'm fine, me and Shota-kun were having a lovely talk." She released her stalker and stood up, freeing him. He struggled to get up and scrambled to get away. Ichigo stepped forward to stop him, but Orihime grabbed a small length of his uniform stopping him.

"Let him go, I believe we came to an understanding," she assured him. Ichigo sighed, reluctantly giving into her.

"You want to talk about what happened?" he offered as he gathered her things.

"There's not much to say. The poor boy was, to put it frankly, a bit delusional. He believed himself to be in love with me, and thought I was encouraging him. I took it upon myself to explain to him that he was deeply mistaken and kindly asked him to never approach me again."

"Wow, I pity anyone who tried to mess with you," he said impressed. "You are fearsome in your own right." There was an unspoken understanding that Ichigo was going to walk with her the rest of the way.

"Are you going to report him?" he asked.

"Of course," she nodded. "Tomorrow I'll tell the school and they'll hopefully get him some help. I can't risk him assaulting someone else."

"That's very admirable of you," he said. "I would've have thought you'd let him of the hook, being the nice person that you are."

"I would have, under normal circumstances, but he exhibited mental instability. I believe he needs professional help." Ichigo grinned at Orihime reinforcing his belief that she could handle herself. She was an intelligent and capable person, and he respected her for it.

"I know you can take care of yourself, I can attest to that," he said, "but if you have a problem, you should know that I'm, ehem, I mean we're here for you. All of us."

"I appreciate that," she beamed.

"By the way, where did you learn to do that," he asked, referring to what she inflicted on the boy moments ago.

"Tatsuki-chan believes that every girl should learn to protect herself. She taught me some self defense," she explained proudly.

"She taught you well," he commented, "you overpowered that guy without breaking a sweat. Those idiots should know better than to underestimate you."

She blushed at his praise, but Ichigo wasn't exaggerating. She was a strong girl, who was more than capable of fighting her own battles, but she also had friends who cared about her and had her back. So to sum it all up, Orihime Inoue was a force to be reckoned with.

-Fin-

 **Note: I hope that it was an enjoyable read. Feedback is welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2: Cause for Concern

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Bleach and its characters. However, the stories are a product of my overactive imagination and so please respect it and each other. Any similarities to other works are purely coincidental, unless clearly stated otherwise. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2: Cause for concern**

 _Summary: In which Ichigo can't help but worry about his clumsy friend._

Have you ever looked at someone and thought "How does this person manage to stay alive after all these years?" Because that is exactly what Ichigo wondered about Orihime Inoue. The girl was an accident waiting to happen. She was clumsy to a fault and finds herself nursing a bruise or two every so often, which was a matter of concern for her friends, including Ichigo. He found his eyes almost always glued to Orihime when she was around and his thoughts constantly on her well-being when she wasn't. There was something about her that made him want to protect her.

As if on cue, his auburn-haired friend caught sight of him and practically ran towards him, while excitedly waving her arms. And just like that, due to no one's fault but her own, she stumbled and and began to fall. As if in slow motion every movement was exaggerated. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an "O" as she fell face first towards the white shiny floor. However Ichigo was not about to let her get hurt on his watch and dashed forward, only in time for him to catch her and act as a buffer from the impact of hitting the hard ground. Unfortunately Ichigo couldn't escape the force of her forehead colliding directly into his, knocking him out completely.  
He woke up with a throbbing headache, in a small bed that wasn't able to accommodate for his whole height, surrounded both sides by faded pink curtains and came to the immediate conclusion that he was in the infirmary. He groaned as he began to remember how he came to be in this position. "How embarrassing," he thought. Then remembered Inoue was also involved and sprung up in the bed.  
"Kurosaki kun," Orihime straightened up in her chair on his bedside. There was a flood of relief washing over her.  
"Are you okay? You were out cold for almost an hour. I was starting to get worried that you might be stuck in coma because of me." She spoke frantically as if she had too much to say but not enough time. She paused and took in a deep breath. "Please tell me you're okay" she said softly. Ichigo's eyes softened and he relaxed, knowing she wasn't hurt.  
"I'm fine," he said, "and you? Are you okay Inoue?" She beamed at his assurance.  
"That's good to hear," she said visibly relieved and quickly added, "You don't have to worry about me. Actually because of you, I didn't get hurt at all. So thank you Kurosaki-kun."  
Ichigo wasn't completely convinced.  
"Are you sure? Their heads must've collided pretty hard if I was knocked out like that, " he said doubtfully. Before Orihime could react, he reached for her forehead and pushed her bangs back to and leaned in close inspect it. Surprisingly, there was so signs of collision what so ever. Not even a bump to show for it. He did however feel her rising temperature.  
"Inoue, your skin feel abnormally hot. Are you sick?" He was unable to contain his concern. Much to his confusion, she pulled herself back and stood up looking flustered.  
"I'm fine. Really Kurosaki-kun," she assured him."Since you're okay, I should really get back to class. See you later!" And just like that she was out the door, before Ichigo could respond. She really was peculiar through and through.

Ichigo swung his legs to the side of the bed and chased after her. He easily caught up, because she had been right outside the infirmary, leaning against the wall and clutching her now red face. Worry began to form yet again. She really looked sick.  
"Inoue you're heating up like crazy!" He exclaimed pressing the back of his hand against her forehead and neck. "You need to go see the nurse right now!" He grabbed her hand started to pull her back into the room, but she was frantically protesting and trying to pull her hand away.  
"Please Kurosaki-kun, I really am fine. This has nothing to with me being sick," she blurted out. That caught Ichigo's attention and momentarily interrupted his attempt to get her to go see the nurse.  
"Then why are you feeling so hot?" Ichigo asked carefully. He was prepared to wage a war on anyone or anything that dared to bother Inoue.  
"It's you," she admitted, unable to look him in the eye. Ichigo's anger welled up inside him.  
"Yu Nakayama!? That bastard is going to wish he was never born" Ichigo said through gritted teeth and was ready to go hunting for the idiot that caused Orihime's distress, but this time she grabbed onto his hand stopping him in his tracks.  
"Not Yu as in our classmate Yu. You as in you, Kurosaki-kun." She clarified, hoping to spare the innocent boy that got sucked into their little exchange.  
"Me, what did I do?" He asked incredulously, because he would never deliberately try to cause any discomfort to Orihime.  
"This," she said, placing her palm on his forehead. Heat rushed straight to Ichigo's face from Orihime's sudden touch. Something about her soft hands on his face felt strange.  
"Wh-wha...,"he was a rambling mess, and he had no idea why.  
She drew her hand back to her side.  
"I'm not sick," she reassured him, "It just so happens that Kurosaki-kun has some sort of affect on me. It's not anything bad, so please don't worry."  
Ichigo was quiet for a moment as he was trying to comprehend what Orihime was trying to say.  
"I think I know what you mean," he said thoughtfully, "you have the same effect on me." Orihime was rendered speechless by what sounded like a confession. Ichigo realized too late that he may have said too much. For a while, the two stood awkwardly in the hallway with no words exchanged between them. Although their feelings seem to be mutual, they weren't ready to confront that aspect of their relationship quite yet. Unable to handle the painful silence, Ichigo changed the subject.  
"Uh it's a good thing you aren't hurt, but you should really be more careful." He said suddenly finding the poster explaining the proper hand washing procedures interesting.  
"Sorry, I am a bit clumsy aren't I," she said staring down at her shoes.  
"I'll say," Ichigo said, rubbing his forehead, "has anyone ever told you that you have a hard head?"  
When she looked up at him with concern, he laughed.  
"It was a joke," he explained. Their eyes met and the awkwardness between them dissipated. They both began to laugh at their amusing predicament.  
"Let's go back to class," Ichigo suggested. She smiled and nodded. As they made their way down the hallway, she unwittingly tripped again. Ichigo quickly grabbed a hold of her hand and pulled her towards him to balance her out.  
"You okay?" He asked, still holding onto her. She blushed, but nodded. He let her go, hoping his own blush would go unnoticed. As the two continued down the corridor, he came to accept that he would always worry about her. She was clumsy and there was no getting around that, but as long as he could help it, he promised himself that he would never let her get hurt beyond repair.

 **Note: Thanks for reading. Feedback is welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3: Ichigo's Bed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. The story, however, is mine.**

 **Chapter 4: Ichigo's Bed**

 _Summary: In which Renji demands some answers._

"Why is it that you never yell at Orihime to get off your bed when you have literally kicked a sick guy out while he was sleeping!?" Renji demanded when Ichigo threw him off his bed for the umpteenth time. He had to settle for sitting on the cold, hard ground. Ichigo on the other hand was at his desk trying to finish his math homework and didn't pay too much attention to his guest.

"The bed is more comfortable. The floor's probably too hard and cold." He said nonchalantly, still completely focused on the task at hand. Renji however was not going to let it go.

"How come you only care whether the floor is cold and hard when it's her?" He pushed. "You never give a damn when it's anybody else."  
"It's my bed so I get to decide who sits on it," Ichigo shrugged. "Besides Inoue is the only person who respects my things, so I told her it's okay to sit on my bed if she wants. It would make no sense for me to tell her to get off it- much less yell at her." Renji jumped up from shock.  
"W-w-wait!" He spluttered trying to gather his thoughts. "You actually told her to sit on your bed first? There must be something going on here. I've noticed that you treat her that best compared to everyone."

With an annoyed sigh, Ichigo slammed down his pencil and spun his chair around to glare at his red-haired friend.

"Because," He growled. "Unlike some people Inoue actually treats me well and doesn't pick a fight with me every chance she gets, so of course it would only be natural for me to do the same."  
"So that's it?" Renji wasn't completely convinced. "It's because she's nice to you? So this has nothing to do with you secretly crushing on her?"

"She's my friend," His tone was less snappy this time. With a hint of dejection in his voice, he added,"And besides she would never like someone like me." Renji's jaw dropped to the ground. There was a long moment of silence as he was struck speechless at what he had just heard.

"You're shitting me right?" He finally managed to say. He wanted to yell in his friends face and shake him until he understood, but he decide to go down the calm, mature path.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked, because Renji guessed that he truly didn't know. He sighed before frankly stating, "It means you're so beyond stupid, you're hopeless." For dramatic measures, Renji spread his arms out and falls dramatically into Ichigo's bed. Renji braced himself for what would happen next.

Without another word, Ichigo simply stood up and grabbed Renji by the collar and coldly yanked him off the bed. Renji was lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling when realization struck.

"Wait a minute," he said, raising his head off the floor to stare at Ichigo. "You never denied that you might like Orihime." Ichigo's reaction spoke for itself. Elated with excitement at having figured out his usually aloof friend, Renji sat up and proclaimed with pride, "You actually do like her!" He leaned back against Ichigo bed in cocky manner and smirked knowingly at Ichigo."Who'da thunk you were capable of crushing on an actual girl," he teased. "You might not be so hopeless after all."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his friend, "Shut your blabbering, or get the f**k out of my room," he muttered as he sat back down in his chair and resumed his assignment.

At that point, Renji knew he wouldn't be able to get anything more out if his friend, but was content. He found out all that he needed to know. Ichigo's bed, just like his heart, was only unbarred for one person.

-FIN-

 **Note: My take on Ichigo's bed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is welcomed.**


	4. Chapter 4: Jealousy

Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or its characters. Although, the story is mine.**

 **Chapter 4: Jealousy**

 _Summary: In which Valentine's Day doesn't go as plan._

"When a guy is jealous it's actually cute, but when a girl is jealous, World War III is about to go down."

-unknown

"Happy Valentine's Day, Rukia-chan," a short boy, not much taller than Rukia, with an embarrassing haircut, said shyly handing her a heart-shaped box. Renji stood by witnessing the whole ordeal. Rukia's wide-eyes told him that she had not expected the gift. She reluctantly took it.

"Thanks Junbo-kun," Rukia said politely. Renji clenched his fist, annoyed that Rukia was smiling and acting friendly with another boy.

"Th truth is, I really like Rukia-chan and I think you're really pretty," _No argument there_ , Renji thought. He continued to eavesdrop. "Will you please be my Valentine's?" Rukia was at a loss for words and stuttered to form a coherent sentence.

 _Okay that was enough of that._ Renji decided it was time to intervene. He walked towards the two and put an arm around Rukia's shoulders. "Sorry _Jumbo_ , but she's already has a Valentine." he said purposely messing up the poor boy's name. Rukia eyed the taller boy suspiciously and nudged his stomach hard, but Renji's grip remained firm, "Isn't that right Rukia - _chan_?" He said emphasizing the -chan. Rukia flashed the dumbstruck and scared Junbo an apologetic look before being lead away by Renji.

"That was unnecessarily rude, Renji," Rukia glared and pushed him away.

"Admit it,you couldn't wait to get out of that position," Renji shrugged. "I did what your fake nice-girl image couldn't."

"You say it as if you did it for me," Rukia smirked not buying it.

"You're welcome," Renji said smugly.

"Stop putting words in my mouth, Renji," Rukia reproved. "And what's this about me already having a Valentines? Last time I checked Junbo-kun was the first guy to ask me," Rukia playfully provoked the already unstrung teen. "Are you, by any chance, jealous?"

"Pftt— me jealous?—Abarai Renji doesn't get jealous." His words did not match his bright red face.

"In that case, you won't mind me accepting Junbo-kun's request. He's actually a really nice guy. It wouldn't be so horrible if I indulged him." In a flash, Rukia was pinned to the lockers. Shocked at first, she recovered with an amused giggle.

"Whats the matter Renji-kun?" her eyes challenged him.

"You can't go to another guy," he said quietly avoiding her eyes.

"I didn't quite catch that. You mind speaking up?" Rukia asked complacently. With a harsh sigh, Renji unpinned her and angrily walked away, much to Rukia's confusion and displeasure. He didn't get far before he marched back. He reached into his pocket and slapped a small box into Rukia's palms. Without another word, he spun around and walked away once more leaving Rukia mouth wide opened, staring at the plastic box. It wasn't until he was out of sight, did she open the box. She gasped at the contents: a keychain of Chappy holding a heart that said, "Be Mine". Her lips slowly curved into a wide smile before her girly-side escaped resulting in her squealing happily and rubbing the cute cartoon character against her cheek. Renji was tsundere, but he understood her better than anyone else. She started running down the hall in the direction that Renji left. She turned the corner and came to a sudden halt.

On the stairs was an underclassman confessing her love to Renji. What riled her up more than anything else was the fact that he was standing there awkwardly, not knowing how to act. He pretends he's so cool and fearsome, but turns into a wuss in front of a pretty girl.

"Please go out with me Renji-senpai," the girl bowed thrusting a white envelope with a red heart sticker. Fuming Rukia threw the Chappy keychain with all her might at the bumbling fool. It hit him full-force on the side of the head, earning a loud howl from the red-head. He angrily turned toward Rukia.

"What the hell, Rukia?!" he demanded.

"Rukia-senpai!" The girl said in recognition.

"You!" Rukia's head snapped in the girl's direction. Renji's irritation towards Rukia quickly turned into alarm.

"Uh you should run—GO!" he urged the girl fearfully. She did as he told her.

"Now Rukia," Renji spoke carefully, as if trying to reason with a wild animal just before it attacks.

"You stupid idiot!" She cried charging at him. She ran right into his open arms, knocking him off balance, forcing them both backwards—down the stairs.

At the infirmary…

"Sorry, I kinda lost it," Rukia apologized. She sat beside his bed. She had bandages around her ankle from spraining it during the fall.

"Kinda?" Renji said flabbergasted. He had been bedriddened with a neck brace on, which prevented head movement. Rukia blushed.

"I saw you with that girl and the next thing I knew, everything was white." She admitted.

"Isn't that kind of reaction little too strong for someone who rejected me 3 times?" Reni asked jokingly. Rukia looked away, embarrassed.

"And why he hell did you throw Chappy?" he muttered, "Do you know how expensive that tiny piece of crap was? Don't get me started on…"

Anger resurfaced at Renji's insult of Chappy, but she quickly forced it back down, trying to stay focused.

"I accept," Rukia interrupted Renji mid-rant.

"What?" Renji asked wide-eyed.

"I accept your request," she said showing him the "Be mine" Chappy keychain.

"Really?" he asked, awestruck.

"Don't make me take it back," she said and softly added, "Idiot." Renji felt overwhelming happiness, but could do nothing in his present state. He had to settle on a big goofy grin.

"I wish it didn't have to take you almost breaking my neck to realize you love me." he teased.

"You better stop acting so smug or I 'll break it for real." She threatened half-heartedly. He only laughed— or at least he tried.

-Fin-

 **Note: Here's some Renruki for a change. I hope it was enjoyable to read. Feedback is welcomed.**


	5. Chapter 5: When You Love Someone

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters. The story, on the other hand, is mine.**

 **Chapter 5: When You Love Someone ...**

 _Summary: In which every one knows how the saying goes._

When you love someone, you would do anything to make them happy. Even if it means that you have to let them go.

"You don't have to do this, Orihime," Tatsuki tried to reason with her friend. "Just tell him how you feel." They were in Orihime's apartment. Orihime was washing the dishes as her friend sat on the kitchen counter eating an apple.

"I want to Tatsuki chan," Orihime said finishing up the dishes and dried her hands on her apron. She then turned her hand and turned her full attention to Tatsuki. "But you know I can't. That would be selfish of me."

"You can't just let him go like that," Tatsuki argued. "Tell him you want him to stay. He'll listen."

"That's why I won't say anything," Orihime said as if it should be obvious. "I don't want him to feel obligated to stay with me. He wants to go and I don't want to stand in his way."

"Orihime. You will regret it if you don't tell him how you feel."

"I want him to be happy." Orihime was firm in her resolve.

"Really? What about your happiness!" Tatsuki's frustration was starting to seep through.

"That's what love is," Orihime said calmly, "Sometimes you have to sacrifice your happiness so the person you love can be happy." The two heard the door opened and turned their heads to see Ichigo sauntering out of one of the rooms, looking like he just woke up.

"Morning Inoue," Ichigo said and walked over to her to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Tatsuki rolled her eyes at their shameless display of affection. When he finally noticed Tatsuki, his tone wasn't quite as sweet."What're you doing here?"

Tatsuki ignored him and instead returned her attention back to Orihime."Tell him Hime or I will," she warned. Ichigo's attention shifted back and forth between the two friends as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Taku-chan please," Orihime pleaded.

"Orihime has something to say," Tatsuki said quickly. She was not going to let her friend back out of this.

"What is it Inoue? Are you okay. Is something bothering you?" There was concern in his voice.

"I'm fine," Orihime was quick to assure him, "It's nothing for you to worry about,"

"Hime..." Tatsuki glared, warning her friend that she was not playing around. Ichigo was officially curious.

"You know you can tell me anything," Ichigo reminded her.

"Kurosaki-kun," she sighed, giving in, "I know you want to go to the concert tomorrow, but I was hoping you would stay- you know- with me," She felt it necessary to add that last part, since she didn't want to risk Ichigo misunderstanding her.

"Inoue…," Ichigo was stunned.

"You probably don't remember—," she began slowly, as if she was contemplating to continue.

"Yes?" He waited patiently.

"—but tomorrow, is a special day for us," she finished. Ichigo's face contorted into dread.

"Crap," he said. "Did I forget our anniversary?"

"No-no," She vigorously shook her head. "Never was silly. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Inoue. What day is tomorrow?" Ichigo wasn't going to let her leave it at that.

"It's the first anniversary of the time you took me to the bread cafe," She admitted. "It was the best chocolate-filled bread I have ever tasted."

"Really," Tatsuki did not even try to hide her disappointment. "That's it?"

"Oh okay... sure I'll call the guys and tell them I can't go," Ichigo said, trying to conceal his confusion. "I didn't know that bread meant so much to you."

"It was really good bread," she said dreamily, "It was also a really good kiss."

"Kiss?" Ichigo and Tatsuki said in unison, but Ichigo was the first to figure it out.

"How could I forget." he said. "It is an anniversary, but not what I thought."

"It's the anniversary of our first kiss," she blushed. Tatsuki finally understood and smiled.

"That's actually really sweet," She said, but suddenly remember something. "Wait a minute. That's not right. Your bread date as the same day I won the junior girls Taekwondo match. That's February 15th. I would never forget that day." Orihime's brows furrowed in light of the new information.

"Huh," she said scratching her head, "I was so sure it was tomorrow." Tatsuki and Ichigo face-palmed at the anticlimactic conclusion. Orihime was still trying to think.

"Maybe it's the day we went to watch that movie in theaters and held hands for the first time." She offered. Dejectedly, she added, " Or maybe tomorrow isn't such a special day after all. I shouldn't have said anything. You should go to the concert." She turned her back to him.

"Inoue. Look at me, Inoue!" Ichigo grab a hold of both of her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. He sighed and soften his tone. "It doesn't matter if we can't remember specific dates of every special moment. It only matters that we remember the moments itself." Orihime smiled lovingly at him.

"Bleh. Get a room you two," Tatsuki gagged.

"Why are you still here Tatsuki?" Ichigo grumbled, his gaze was still on Orihime. One look at Ichigo and Tatsuki knew it was her cue to leave.

"I know when I'm not welcome," she sighed. "I'll call you later Hime," she jumped off the counter and tossed her apple into the trash can.

"You don't have to go Taku-chan," Orihime said. Tatsuki gave her a look.

"Yes," she said steadfastly. "Yes, I do. See you later. Bye carrot top!" And just like that she was out the door, leaving the two lovebirds alone.

"It seems I made a big deal over nothing," She mumbled, unable to hide her embarrassment. Ichigo smiled.

"Let's do something tomorrow," Ichigo suggested and jokingly added. "Just to clarify it would be just the two of us. Knowing you, you probably had something planned already."

Orihime's blush indicated that she did.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the concert?" She asked.

"Let's see. A loud, crowded concert verses quiet quality time with you," He pretend to weigh his options. She laughed and looked up at him. "I want you to stay with me."

"Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you take charge?" Ichigo closed the distance between and snaked his arms around her waist.

"I'm waiting," she said playfully.

"Very, very sexy," he grinned and leaned in to kiss her. She gladly kissed back.

-FIN-

 **Note: Hope you liked it. Feedback is welcomed.**


	6. Chapter 6: The Little Mermaid

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

 **Chapter 6: The Little Mermaid**

 _Summary: In which, that one song plays…_

It's been two weeks since Ichigo and Orihime officially began dating. The two were taking it slow… REALLY slow. As in no physical contact whatsoever. It wasn't because they didn't want to or weren't ready for it, they just had no idea how to initiate such things. After all both of them were pretty much clueless about dating.

"It's been two weeks, when are you planning on making a move?" Renji inquired. Ichigo had stopped by Urahara's shop and Renji just happened to be there.

"Two weeks since when?" Urahara chimed in. He was always eager for some juicy gossip.

"Two weeks since he and Orihime started going out." Renji replied.

"It's been two weeks and nothing's happened?" Urahara laughed. "Boy are you slow."

"That's what I'm saying." Renji agreed, "I bet they haven't even held hands yet.

Irritated, Ichigo glared at his friends.

"We're just not there yet," he snapped, "And it's none of your damn business anyway."

"Take my advice Ichigo, if you don't make a move soon, you might lose your chance," Renji said seriously.

"A girl like Orihime has 10, maybe 100, eager boys willing to sweep her off her feet. She might wake up one day and decide you're not good enough for her." Urahara added suggestively, waving his fan obnoxiously in front of his face. Ichigo clenched his fists, seriously considering murdering his mentor right then and there. Sensing danger, Renji quickly intervened.

"I think what Urahara meant was, you should make an effort to show her how you feel—physically— before she starts to think that you just aren't interested."

Ichigo exhaled in frustration. "Why the hell are you all so nosy. I just came here for some snacks." He grabbed his plastic bag of goodies and stormed out of the shop.

—

"So how was it?" Rangiku asked out of the blue. It was during their occasional girls' get-together. Her question was directed at Orihime, who was in the process of eating her super-sized donut.

"How was what?" she managed to say with her mouth full.

"Your first kiss, silly." Rangiku said as if it should be obvious. She didn't expect her fairly innocent question to get such a reaction from Orihime, who began to choke on her food.

Tatsuki came to her friend's rescue and began to pound on her back. Orihime winced in pain at her Tatsuki's attempt to help her, but was able to recover. After taking a sip of her water, she began to laugh nervously.

"That's too forward, Rangiku-san." She tried to wave it off.

"There's nothing to tell, since nothing's happened yet," Tatsuki explained on behalf of her friend.

"No way," Rangiku laughed heartily, but stopped when she realized that her friends weren't joining in. "Wait you're serious!?" Orihime look down, embarrassed that her love life was being openly discussed.

"It's been two weeks, honey, what are you waiting for?" Rangiku said, thoroughly surprised.

"It's just Kurosaki-kun and I agreed to take it slow. It'll happen when the time is right," Orihime said meekly. She was getting redder by the second.

"What if it doesn't happen, because both of you are too shy?" Orihime didn't have time to answer because Rangiku wasn't quite finished with her interrogation. "Do you want to kiss him?"

"Rangiku-san!" Orihime cried.

"It's not a trick question, Princess," Rangiku shook her head, "Do you want to kiss him?"

"Yes." Orihime finally gave in.

"Then you got to open yourself up so he can find an opportunity." She advised.

"How do I do that?"

"You're acting as if you've never done this before," Rangiku joked. The moment of awkward silence wiped the smile off her face.

"Of course you haven't," She cleared her throat. "It's simple. You like Ichigo and he obviously likes you back. All you have to do is let nature do its job."

"You know Rangiku-san, You give the best advice in the worst possible wording." Tatsuki said.

"I know," The older woman said proudly. While Rangiku rambled on with advice for Orihime, the latter's phone beeped.

"It's Kurosaki-kun." Orihime said standing up. "It was very nice catching up with you Rangiku-san, but I have to go. Bye Tatsuki-chan!" And just like that she was gone.

"So what about you Tatsuki, anyone special we don't know about?"

—

After that embarrassing discussion, Orihime was extra nervous for her date with Ichigo. He had asked her to come over to his house to watch a movie since he had the house to himself for the evening.

"Did you pick a movie yet?" Ichigo asked coming from the Kitchen with a bowl of popcorn. She snapped out of her thoughts. She was so preoccupied, she hadn't even started looking yet.

"Uh yeah! This one!" She picked a random movie from the Kurosaki's movie collection. It was The Little Mermaid.

"Oh okay," Ichigo said. It wasn't really his first choice, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to focus on the movie anyway. He put the disc in and took his seat beside Orihime. There was obvious space between them. However as the movie progressed, the gap between them slowly began to shrink, until they were about a hair's width away from each other. Ichigo's arm naturally rested behind Orihime. He was pleasantly surprised when she slightly, but definitely leaned into him, closing the distance between them. Ichigo took that as an okay to rest his hand on her shoulder. Orihime didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed really comfortable with it. He smiled, happy that they were finally at the stage where physical contact was okay.

Their moment of comfort didn't last long, because shortly after the infamous "Kiss The Girl" song came on. The two tensed up and glanced at each other. They made eye contact and neither could look away. There was an undeniable pull that was bringing their faces closer and closer, until they were inches apart. Orihime closed her eyes to embrace the kiss, but was reminded of Rangiku's advice. She blinked and pulled back. She didn't want to kiss Ichigo because her friends told her that it was time. She didn't want their relationship to be based on other people's perception of love. Orihime suddenly stood up and cleared her throat, much to Ichigo's disappointment.

"I'm thirsty," She blurted. "Is it okay if I get some water?"  
"Uh, sure." Ichigo said. Orihime practically ran into the kitchen.

"Maybe she wasn't ready," He sighed. He really thought they had a moment, but he must've misjudged. "It's probably too soon." He sat there trying to get his mind off the almost kiss, but it was impossible. No matter how many times he replayed it, it was undeniable that she leaned in too. She was ready, he was sure. Before he lost his nerve, he stood up and followed Orihime into the kitchen.

Orihime gasped when she felt Ichigo's arms wrapped around her. He took the cup of water from her hand and placed it by the sink and turned her around to face him. He 6'1 frame basically towered over her.

"Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you?" He asked her sincerely. Orihime managed a quiet "Uh-huh", before Ichigo's lips landed gently on hers. Orihime didn't realize how much she longed for his kiss, until his lips were on hers. She tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down a little to deepen the kiss. Ichigo was pleasantly surprised by her response and wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight embrace. When the two finally broke apart, both were out of breath.

"Woah." He said.

"You could say that again." She agreed.

"Excuse me, I need a drink." He wrapped the cup and took a drink. Orihime began to laugh uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo asked, confused. He waited for Orihime to get it all out of her system.

"Your face," She replied with giggle. "It's smeared with lipstick." She grabbed a napkin and began to gently wipe around his mouth. Ichigo smiled at Orihimes expression, while she diligently worked at the lipstick. Orihime noticed and paused.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"This moment is just too perfect," he replied. "I want it to last forever." Orihime smiled at his poetic words.

"Instead of that," she said and continued to wipe the remaining traces of lipstick, " Let's create more perfect moment."

"Sounds good to me," Ichigo agreed, grabbing her busy hand and leaning in to kiss her once more. Caught up in the moment, neither heard the front door open.

 **-Fin-**

 **Note: Thanks for reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm so glad some of you are enjoying the random fluff.**


	7. Chapter 7: Ichigo's Bed pt2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters nor do I claim to. What your are about to read is a product of my imagination.**

 **Chapter 7: Ichigo's Bed pt.2**

 _In which Ichigo invites Orihime up to his room…_

After a day spent at school, Ichigo and Orihime headed to Ichigo's house together. Earlier in the day, during history class, their teacher paired them up together for a project. Ichigo hated school projects. His minimal interest in the subject, paired with his utter lack of creativity, made these kind of assignments almost unbearable for him. The only thing that made it tolerable was the fact that he was partnered up with Orihime. As they approached his house, Ichigo couldn't believe his luck. His dad's car was missing from the front of his house, indicating that the older man was not home. Orihime had come over many times before, and Isshin Kurosaki managed to humiliate his son every time without fail. So one could understand why Ichigo did not want his father around. He also held out hope that his younger sisters wouldn't be home either. The two were almost as bad as their dad when it came to Ichigo and girls. He had never been so thankful to come home to an empty house. He held open the door for her.

"We can work on the project in living room," he said. That was his first mistake. Not even five minutes later, a car pulled up to the driveway and his front door flung open. "ICHIGO," Isshin announced like he was in some kind of Shakespearean play, "I'm home!"

Ichigo should have known that having the house to himself was too much too ask for. It took the older man only a millisecond to realize that his son was not alone and began shaking with excitement.

"Ichigo, why didn't you tell me you would be bringing your girlfriend over?!" Isshin cried dramatically. Orihime's face flushed with embarrassment, whereas Ichigo was red with anger.

"Hi, Orihime-chan!" Isshin said with misplaced familiarity. "I'm so sorry that our house is such a mess. If I'd had known that you were coming over, I'd tell my useless son to clean the entire place." Orihime tried to say that it was unnecessary, but once Isshin got into a passionate rant, there wasn't much room for anyone to interject. He grabbed a feather duster from who-knows-where and began dusting every inch of the room, all the while going on about how dirty their house was and how lazy Ichigo was. While his father was preoccupied, Ichigo gather up their stuff, grabbed Orihime by the hand and pulled her towards the stairs.

"Sorry about my dad," Ichigo apologized as he lead Orihime up the stair to his bedroom. She laughed it off. "It's really no big deal Kurosaki-kun. I like your dad. He's very funny."  
"Yeah, try living with him." Ichigo muttered under his breath.  
"We can work on the project in my room instead." He said gesturing towards his bedroom with his hand, bringing Orihime's up with his. It was in that moment that they both realized that Ichigo was still holding Orihime's hand. Not knowing what to do or how to react, neither moved. It was only when Orihime cleared her throat, that Ichigo jerked his hands away. They tried to laugh the awkward atmosphere, but it came out unnatural and nervous-sounding.

"Um, should I help you carry the supplies?" Orihime swerved the conversation, much to Ichigo's relief. Ichigo, who was carrying both their backpacks and all the materials for their project, obliged and let her take some of the weight off of him. He lead her to his bedroom door and turned the knob revealing his small, tidy room. It didn't change much from the last time she visited with their friends. There was a desk and chair with books and papers sprawled over it and next to it was his twin-size bed covered with a blue comforter. He stepped aside for Orihime to enter first and closed the door behind them. His second mistake was not locking his bedroom door. They put their belongings down on the hardwood floor and Orihime sat down.

"You know you can sit on the bed," he said. "It's more comfortable."

"It's okay," she assured him. "The floor isn't too bad. Besides, there is more room to work on our project down here." Ichigo shrugged and joined her on the floor.

"So what should we do for our History presentation?" She asked. The awkwardness from the hand-holding incident dissipated and the two spoke comfortably again.  
"To be honest, I wasn't really paying attention when the teacher was explaining the project." He admitted.  
"Me neither," She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I was trying really hard not to fall asleep."  
He had noticed that she was looking exhausted lately and had been trying to find the right time to ask her about it. She was especially out of it when they were walking home together. Usually, she would just talk about random things on her mind, while Ichigo listened without interruptions. However, she didn't speak much that day.  
"Is everything okay Inoue?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. In reality, the possibility of something troubling Orihime was really bugging him.  
"Oh it's nothing," she said trying to appear like her normal self, but her tired eyes says differently. "It's just that I've been taking extra shift at the bakery, since college is right around the corner. It'll only be until this Friday, so I can handle it!"  
"Okay, but if it ever gets to the point where you can't..."  
"...I'll slow down. I know. Thanks for worrying about me Kurosaki-kun, but I'm fine really. Let's just start on our project." Ichigo obliged since that seems to be the end of that conversation.

"Okay." He reluctantly agreed

"Here's the instructions for the project-" without any warning Ichigo's bedroom door flew opened revealing Karin at the doorway.  
"Well I'll be, Ichi-nii really did bring Orihime home," her tone was a mixture of shock and pride in her older brother. Both Ichigo and Orihime turned beet red.  
"So, it's true?!" Yuzu's voice could be heard from a distance.  
"He really is my son!" Isshin proclaimed with fatherly pride.  
"What did I tell you about embarrassing me in front of my friends!" Ichigo shouted, jumping onto his feet. Karin immediately recognized that she was in trouble and darted back towards the stairs.

Ichigo chased his sister downstairs and cornered her in the living room.

"What part of 'Don't barge into my room' don't you understand, Karin?!" He scolded the younger girl.

"Dad told me Orihime came over and I had to see for myself," Karin defended herself. "It's not everyday my big brother brings home the prettiest girl in Karakura." Ichigo didn't even try to correct her, because knowing his nosy family, they wouldn't listen anyway.

"Still, you can't just come into my room whenever you want!" Ichigo snapped. "And that goes for you too Yuzu." He turn to glared at his other sister, who suddenly found the plain walls of their living room to be very interesting.

"Why?" Isshin said suggestively, "Were you doing something you shouldn't?" Ichigo snapped his attention to his dad.

"Nothing was going on, you perverted old man!" Ichigo barked. "And don't think I forgot about what happened before. If you don't stop acting like a fool, I will drop-kick you out the damn door!"

After thoroughly lecturing his family about boundaries and their embarrassing behavior in front of his guest, he headed back up the stairs. "You all better stay downstairs and mind your own business!" he warned, "If this happens again, you're all dead mebat!"

Ichigo climbed the stairs once more and was prepared to apologize to Orihime on behalf of his embarrassing family, but he stopped himself when he found her leaning against his bed, fast asleep. His expression softened when he saw how peaceful and delicate she looked. However, worry took over when he realized how tired she must have been to fall asleep like she did. When she started to fall to the side, Ichigo lurched forward and caught her by the nape of her neck. His eyes fell on her soft features and his breath caught. She really was beautiful. Of course, he always thought she was cute, but he never really put that much significance on her looks. To Ichigo, Orihime was the cute, quirky girl who always greeted him with a smile and who went out of her way to befriend him even when everyone was scared of him. Still, not even he was immune to her physical charm. But he did not miss the dark circles under her eyes and manage to force himself out of his trance.

"When was the last time she got sufficient sleep?" he thought to himself. Whatever the answer was, he wasn't going to wake up to find out. He place one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, careful not to wake her. He effortlessly picked her up from the ground, letting her head rest against his chest. He kicked off the covers and and placed the sleeping girl gently on his bed. As he pulled the covers over her, she stirred slightly but, much to his relief, she did not wake. He sat down on the floor and picked up the syllabus for the project. As he scanned through the directions, he realized he didn't mind doing the stupid project by himself if it meant Orihime could get some much needed sleep.

The next morning, Orihime woke up to three pairs of eyes watching her curiously. Isshin and Yuzu peered through the open door, while Karin leaned up against doorway with a bowl of cereal in her hands. Not fully realizing her situation, she slowly sat up. What was Ichigo's family doing in her apartment?

"Looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake," Karin said, stuffing a spoonful of of Captain Crunch in her mouth.

"Did you sleep okay in onii-chan's bed?" Yuzu asked. _Onii-chan?... Wait_. Orihime looked around the room that was definitely not hers and let out a surprised squeal.

"Oh no," She squeaked. She couldn't possibly have fallen asleep in Ichigo's bed and spent the night.

"Oh yes." Karin confirmed her fears, taking another bite of her cereal.

That was the first time Orihime spent the night at Ichigo's and in his precious bed no less. If it was anyone else, there was no way that Ichigo would have shown that person the same courtesy. And although Ichigo insisted that there was nothing between him and Orihime, it was for that reason that Ichigo's family never let him live it down. As if that wasn't bad enough, word quickly got around to all his friends and the whole situation got monumentally worse.

 **Author's Note: I can't believe it has been 2 years since my last update. Thanks to the couple of people who recently followed and favorited the story, even though the last update was in 2016. Anyways, enjoy (especially** **Tokiluv** **, who wanted a continuation of Ichigo's bed)!**


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